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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Looking for a classic adventure? Dracula offers more. The original Victorian horror goes further than it's modern Halloween knock offs with suspense, sex and a bold female protagonist.
Published in 1897, this novel outshone most of its adventure stories contemporaries with its vivid and detailed description of a new monster on the British Isle, the Vampire.
The first 50 pages are gripping. You are transported into Transylvania by reading Johnathan Harker's diary of a young estate lawyer becoming trapped in the castle of his mysterious client, Count Dracula. Needless to say, the pale, thin, heavily moustached count is after more than just a new mansion in England.
Back in England two months later, a young bride falls prey to a bloodsapping illness that puzzles her suitors. A jolly, charming and open minded professor, Van Helsing, arrives from Amsterdam and quickly determines a dark, mystical origin to the mystery. A Vampire is afoot. The book then takes you on a bold quest to discover the vampire's weaknesses, find Jonathan Harker and onto a final, lengthy hunt to slay the beast!
Delivered by a variety of narrators, each from their diaries or letters, Stoker brings the Victorian world of the occult to life. My favourite of which is certainly Mina Murray, the fiancee of Johnathan Harker, who breaks the tradition of the male quest story with her intellectual know-how (or "man's brain"(!) ), often outshining her male counterparts. This was a minor step forward for 1897 and shows the male anxiety of the time around the role of women in society. Most other female characters are more minor and play the more expected role of sexy vampires. If you don't know the word voluptuous already, you certainly will after these vampires come to town!
On words, this book has the usual pompous Victorian vibe so its vocabulary is often dated and lengthy. The last 75 pages have too much repetition and few plot developments which lets the suspense slip. Personally, this was remedied by the continued sexual undertones throughout the book which offers suspense as honourable gentlemen struggle against their urges and hilarity, like the use of the word semen for dripping candle wax as two men enter the dark crypt of a young woman.
Count Dracula is an intriguing and sinister character who plays with the minds of his enemies and the reader. He is based on a medieval Romanian king called Vlad Dracula, or "Vlad The Impaler". Vlad wasn't your average King. He and his forces impaled (forcing a spike through the anus and leaving people to die on it) 100,000s of poor people and Turks, often eating outside to watch those left to suffer. He also supposedly drank the blood of a fallen Turk once to demonstrate to his generals how tough (or flippin' crazy) he was. So all in all, a top bloke for a Vampire story and good reminder about what happens when rulers go full psychopath.
Overall, Dracula is occasionally gripping, often enjoyable adventure story that challenges the rational Enlightenment Victorian and even the modern reader to question whether, from the existence of the occult to the role of women, all may not be quite as it seems.
Published in 1897, this novel outshone most of its adventure stories contemporaries with its vivid and detailed description of a new monster on the British Isle, the Vampire.
The first 50 pages are gripping. You are transported into Transylvania by reading Johnathan Harker's diary of a young estate lawyer becoming trapped in the castle of his mysterious client, Count Dracula. Needless to say, the pale, thin, heavily moustached count is after more than just a new mansion in England.
Back in England two months later, a young bride falls prey to a bloodsapping illness that puzzles her suitors. A jolly, charming and open minded professor, Van Helsing, arrives from Amsterdam and quickly determines a dark, mystical origin to the mystery. A Vampire is afoot. The book then takes you on a bold quest to discover the vampire's weaknesses, find Jonathan Harker and onto a final, lengthy hunt to slay the beast!
Delivered by a variety of narrators, each from their diaries or letters, Stoker brings the Victorian world of the occult to life. My favourite of which is certainly Mina Murray, the fiancee of Johnathan Harker, who breaks the tradition of the male quest story with her intellectual know-how (or "man's brain"(!) ), often outshining her male counterparts. This was a minor step forward for 1897 and shows the male anxiety of the time around the role of women in society. Most other female characters are more minor and play the more expected role of sexy vampires. If you don't know the word voluptuous already, you certainly will after these vampires come to town!
On words, this book has the usual pompous Victorian vibe so its vocabulary is often dated and lengthy. The last 75 pages have too much repetition and few plot developments which lets the suspense slip. Personally, this was remedied by the continued sexual undertones throughout the book which offers suspense as honourable gentlemen struggle against their urges and hilarity, like the use of the word semen for dripping candle wax as two men enter the dark crypt of a young woman.
Count Dracula is an intriguing and sinister character who plays with the minds of his enemies and the reader. He is based on a medieval Romanian king called Vlad Dracula, or "Vlad The Impaler". Vlad wasn't your average King. He and his forces impaled (forcing a spike through the anus and leaving people to die on it) 100,000s of poor people and Turks, often eating outside to watch those left to suffer. He also supposedly drank the blood of a fallen Turk once to demonstrate to his generals how tough (or flippin' crazy) he was. So all in all, a top bloke for a Vampire story and good reminder about what happens when rulers go full psychopath.
Overall, Dracula is occasionally gripping, often enjoyable adventure story that challenges the rational Enlightenment Victorian and even the modern reader to question whether, from the existence of the occult to the role of women, all may not be quite as it seems.
I want to love it but I’d have to say I only liked it. I will say I love parts of it! But reading this became very difficult by page 250. The beginning is wonderful with beautiful detail of travel and Draculas castle but once you get to the middle of the book there is a lot of repetitive dialogue and description. As another reviewer put it, “beating a dead horse.” I know most of it was to build suspense. On that note I loved the story and the characters. It was a fun book! Just some parts were a little difficult. Despite the 3 stars I think it would be nice to give the story a chance and there are parts and details that make Dracula worth the read and experience. If you need a audiobook to get through it, I don’t blame you. ;)
Napokon završio.
Lepa knjiga, ima vrlo jednostavne opise iz kojih je očigledno inspirisano dosta vampirskih filmova.
Jedino je kraj baš mnogo zbrzan pored celog putovanja koje je bilo nekada i previše detaljno.
Lepa knjiga, ima vrlo jednostavne opise iz kojih je očigledno inspirisano dosta vampirskih filmova.
Jedino je kraj baš mnogo zbrzan pored celog putovanja koje je bilo nekada i previše detaljno.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Loved it, but Van Helsing yaps too much and it feels too dragged and slow towards the end
Glad to have finally read the grandfather of all vampire books, but the dragging middle portion of the story caused me some trouble. Fun October read, though.
meh. it's fine. stream the masters song from dracula the musical (RENFIELD SWEEP)
Listened to on CraftLit Podcast. I can see why it became a classic. Adventure, excitement and a satisfying ending. Also, a surprisingly strong female character. Mina Harker is intelligent and brave. And the men respect her. Now if I could just find the 1992 version of the movie I can finish this right.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No